Category Archives: Non-Scale Victory

As those of you who have been long-term readers of this blog will remember, my entire life changed when I took up Couch 2 5K. At the time, it was the hardest thing I’d ever done for myself. Now, I look back and can only sort of remember the time before I could run the way I run now — it seems like so long ago. So much has changed.

“Squeeze me in before you go,
Summertime size six dress.
I just want you to know
I’d fit if not for my breasts.

I’ve got a tight bra on tonight;
You seem so possible in that basement light.
Slip you over my shoulders and my hope is slight —
I know if you fit, then the fit will be tight…”

You guys, there’s a dress and I think she’s tamed me.

As some of you already know, I don’t really do “short term” weigh loss goals. They don’t much appeal to me since I would rather see my progress as a continual lifestyle change that’s not in constant need of reward/validation. That being said: I have a dress that I used to wear in high school and it is the most lovely and wonderful dress. It’s this great tea length and has an awesome neckline and is just a delight. It is a Liz Claiborne size 6, and it has not fit me since early college.

Here I am, rocking it during a chorus cabaret senior year of high school:

I have had my eye on this dress for a long time, since January. Before January, really, since I’ve always wanted to fit back into it.

This Monday night I was scrounging around the basement for something to wear for teaching on Tuesday (I am ONE DAY AWAY from having taught 20 classes without repeating an outfit! Cue my white girl delight!) and I spotted that dress coyly calling to me from a hanger near the farthest end of our clothes section in the basement.

It is my siren song.

Seduced by it’s beauty, I had to try.

Minutes later, I was bounding up the basement steps screeching for Chelsea to get her phone to take my picture. And she did: and the result includes me in a 90’s style headband hairdo, no makeup, the wrong bra… AND ME IN THAT GODDAMN DRESS I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW.

It’s only one size six dress, I know, and the real litmus test will be to see if I fit that well into OTHER size six dresses and not just this one. However, let’s look at the basic fact of this moment:

Dress size in January: A snug 14
Dress size this week: A snug 6

(return to the tune of “Summertime Sadness”)

“I think I’ll wear you forever,
From now until the day that I die.
July is better than never,
And even if you’re snug, I’m gonna try.”

I am extremely, extremely proud of this moment. I’ve been waiting a long time for that dress. In five more lbs, it’ll fit exactly right. And you KNOW I will wear it to the first day of teaching this fall!